Walmart will pay $7.5 million in civil penalties and costs in a settlement with California prosecutors who alleged the retail company unlawfully disposed of hazardous waste and medical waste from their facilities statewide into city landfills.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the settlement Tuesday, saying the resolution of the lawsuit will ensure that Walmart’s hazardous waste is treated and disposed of as required by law.
“Walmart’s illegal disposal of hazardous and medical waste not only violated California laws, but, if left unchecked, posed a threat to human health and the environment,” Bonta said in a news release. “As a result of this investigation and lawsuit, Walmart has taken significant steps to prevent such sales in the future.”
The settlement is the result of more than 70 waste audits conducted by the statewide district attorney’s offices and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control.
During the audits, the district attorney’s offices reviewed the contents of waste that Walmart sent from its facilities to landfills in the city. According to the attorney general’s office, authorities found thousands of containers of toxic aerosols and liquid waste, including spray paint, rust remover, bleach, pesticides and medical waste such as over-the-counter medications.
In response to the settlement announcement, Walmart representatives said they are pleased that government officials recognize that Walmart’s purpose is to promote the protection of the health and safety of Californians and the environment.
“The fact that the settlement agreement requires Walmart to ‘maintain’ our pre-existing waste compliance program is a testament to the strength of the compliance program we have built, and the settlement agreement itself recognizes that Walmart’s program is extremely effective at stopping of so-called hazardous waste flows. waste from public landfills,” Walmart representatives said in a written statement. “We appreciate that government authorities have recognized Walmart’s commitment to protecting both the environment and the people of California.”
The settlement also includes preliminary terms requiring Walmart to hire an independent, third-party auditor to conduct three annual rounds of waste audits at its facilities throughout California over the next four years, the attorney general’s office said.
Walmart’s auditor must follow specific requirements under the settlement to ensure the waste is “thoroughly and accurately assessed and characterized,” prosecutors said. The audit results must be shared with the Attorney General’s Office, the Department of Toxic Substances Control, and the district attorneys involved in this settlement.
The settlement announcement involved district attorneys in Sacramento, Yolo, Alameda, San Joaquin, Fresno, Solano, Tulare, Monterey, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties.
“The unlawful disposal of hazardous and medical waste creates an environmental hazard and a threat to public health,” Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho said in the news release. “This case is another example of how the Attorney General’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office can work together to protect our environment and ensure compliance with environmental laws.”
Prosecutors said the unlawful disposals at the city’s landfills would have violated the Hazardous Waste Control Act, the Medical Waste Management Act and the Unfair Competition Act.
“Holding Walmart accountable for this violation of improper hazardous waste disposal sends a clear message: all businesses, without exception, must comply with environmental laws that protect Californians,” said DTSC Director Katherine M. Butler in the statement. the press release. “This settlement highlights the strength of our law enforcement partnerships at all levels of government and DTSC’s commitment to holding all offenders accountable.”
